What to do with your CSA basket

For access to locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables, it doesn't get more direct than a CSA -- besides your own garden.

By buying in to a CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture, you can get fresh produce directly from a farmer on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

New York City is home to dozens of CSAs. Even local workplaces, like LinkedIn, Martha Stewart, NBC and the Mayor's office, are getting in on them, receiving weekly deliveries of baskets with fresh, organic produce for employees.

Getting local produce is made easy, but coming up with dishes for every veggie in your CSA basket can be another story. Liz Neumark, CEO of Great Performances catering company and author of the cookbook "Sylvia's Table: Fresh, Seasonal Recipes from Our Farm to Your Family," offers advice for preparing meals with these bundles.

1. When in doubt, roast your veggies with salt, pepper, a good olive oil and herbs like rosemary or thyme.

2. If your greens become wilted, add them to soups.

3. Blend raw, roasted, or sautéed veggie to a hummus or white bean spread. They will lend great color, texture and flavor.

4. There are many dishes that work well with all veggies, including risotto, vegetable soup, empanadas, pizza, juices, smoothies and chopped salads.

5. For mixed vegetable salads, keep vinaigrette on hand, made up of garlic, lemon, Dijon, vinegar, salt and pepper.

6. Save your scraps to make vegetable stock.

7. Share extra vegetables with friends, neighbors and your doorman!

CSA-friendly recipe

Wondering what a pro might make with a CSA basket? Great Performance’s CSA program recently held a cook-off competition in New York City, where professional chefs created a dish using a basket of seasonal produce. Here’s the winning recipe, by Haven’s Kitchen’s Tiffany Moy and Amy McDowell.

3. Bake poblanos on a shallow pan for 15-20 minutes, flipping them halfway though and checking every 5 minutes to see if they’re done (the skins should blister and start to peel and char).

4. Remove from oven and cool until you can peel the skin off the poblanos. Set aside.

5. While peppers are cooling, add diced cilantro, a little of the diced garlic, 1-2 tbsp. of olive oil, freshly ground pepper and coarse sea salt into a stone mortar. Using a pestle, grind mixture until it forms a brightly green oil (alternatively, use a mini food processor). Add more olive oil as needed to retain a more liquid texture. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside.